Doesn't Microsoft also make you pay for xbox live just so that you can connect to Netflix's servers (who you are also paying) over your home internet connection (which you are also paying for)?
I do not believe this is true (although I haven't verified it). Xbox live basic level is free. Xbox live gold costs money. I would HOPE you can still use Netflix with Xbox live basic.
As surprising as it may be, Netflix requires Xbox Live Gold.
This is different than say the PS3 which does not require PS+ for Netflix.
This is one of the many reasons that while I may eventually own an Xbox One (I own 2 different Xbox 360s now), my first "next gen" console will be a PS4.
Yet PS3 requires you to have PSN+ to download in the background and to save games to the cloud. Both things you can do without Gold on Xbox. They each have their pros and cons for paid upgrade, but I find the Xbox live experience to be far superior to what the PS3 has to offer.
> Yet PS3 requires you to have PSN+ to download in the background [...]
This isn't true, either. Background downloading predates PlayStation Plus and everyone has had access to it since its launch. You might be thinking of automatic downloads, but that's not true either as of PS3 system software update 4.50, released last week.[1]
> [...] and to save games to the cloud. Both things you can do without Gold on Xbox.
Xbox support seems to indicate[2] cloud storage requires an Xbox LIVE Gold membership. Has that changed recently (so the support article is out of date)? I couldn't find any update notes indicating that it had.
